VELEHRAD, CZECH REPUBLIC

JUNE 5-9 2023

FINAL DOCUMENT OF THE CONGRESS

By the grace of God, over one hundred years ago, the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite having been established and recognized by the Holy See in 1921 as an Apostolic Exarchate;

In accordance with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, as outlined in the Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches “Orientalium Ecclesiarum”;

Guided by the norm set forth in Canon 38 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which is based on the Apostolic Letter of Pope Leo XIII “Orientalem Dignitas Ecclesiarum” § 9, we, preserving our membership in the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite, strive with reverence to observe its liturgical, canonical, and spiritual-theological traditions, which are safeguarded by the teaching of the Universal Church;

Analyzing the current situation of the communities of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite in Russia and abroad, the following conclusions can be drawn:

We want the Holy See to know that we grieve deeply for the loss of lives and damage in the bloody tragedy of armed conflict currently taking place between Russia and Ukraine and we recognize that the damage to souls will last for generations. We commit ourselves to the building of peace and healing under the guidance of the most Holy Spirit;

We observe: due to the problematic nature of visits by foreign religious leaders to Russian territory, there is a problem with the celebration of the Mysteries reserved for the episcopal rank. Such circumstances create an unhealthy situation and sow misunderstanding.

The appointment of a canonical Father and Head will resolve this issue and serve as a visible sign of the paternal care of the Holy See for the faithful in a difficult situation in a country subjected to international isolation;

In the communities of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite outside the territory of Russia, the absence of a canonical hierarch who coordinates and provides pastoral care to the communities creates problems of a social, canonical, civil and pastoral nature. This particularly applies to the status of candidates for the presbyterate and diaconate, their education and formation;

Thanks to the pastoral work of Bishop Joseph Werth, who has been serving as the Ordinary for Byzantine rite Catholics in Russia since 2005, the faithful of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite have established communities that have become spiritual families where the faithful have been nourished, vocations to the priesthood and monastic life were formed, and several churches have been built;

 Acknowledging, in our circumstances, the solicitude exercised by the local Latin and Eastern hierarchs, as well as the fraternal support of religious institutes, for the long-established parishes and communities of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite outside Russia;

In order to better fulfill the commandments of Divine Revelation, exercising the right granted to all believers in Canon 15 of the Code of Canons of  the Eastern Churches,

We, the faithful and clergy of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite, gathered at the “Russian Byzantine Catholic Congress” in Velehrad on 5 to 9 June 2023, address the Holy See with the following requests:

1)    We ask the Holy See to bless the regular holding of such meetings of our clergy and faithful and to appoint a person to preside on behalf of the Holy See.

2)    Expressing gratitude to the Holy See for appointing Bishop Joseph Werth as the Ordinary for Byzantine Rite Catholics in Russia, and in order to provide more complete pastoral care for the faithful, we request the appointment of a Father and Head of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite. It would be a sign of great pastoral care for the Father and Head to have formation in the Byzantine spiritual tradition, for a deeper understanding of the spiritual needs of that portion of God's people entrusted to him.

3)    For the communities of the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite outside of Russia, in the territory of other countries, for the coordination of pastoral work and the implementation of representative functions, we request the appointment of a hierarch. For more competent pastoral work, it would be desirable to assign this service to a cleric who has been educated in the Byzantine Rite. It is necessary for them to have their own hierarch (representative) who, being familiar with their needs, could advocate for their interests before the Holy See and local hierarchs.

4)    In order to resolve disputed issues related to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches falling under the competence of particular law, we ask the Holy See to organize norms regarding questions of liturgical worship, the calendar, and observance of fasting. Over the past hundred years, canonical norms have been transformed in the course of the general development of the Church's Teaching at the Second Vatican Council, which codified the canon law of the Eastern Churches. Looking at the positive experience of developing particular law in some Eastern Catholic Churches, we realize the necessity of similar regulation for our Church.

5)    To avoid unnecessary scandal and misunderstanding, we request that statistical data about the Russian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite be included in the annual Annuario Pontificio.

With this document, the Assembly authorizes the Mitred Archpriest Lawrence Cross to represent the aforementioned requests before the relevant Church authorities and to carry out all actions related to the implementation of this mandate.

***

Dated the 9th day of June 2023 (27th day of May, Julian style), on the memorial of the hieromartyr Therapon, bishop of Sardis.